Autism Berkshire and Reading-based creative arts charity Jelly have been awarded a grant from the Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund by Berkshire Community Foundation, to help ensure that creativity plays an important role in local community celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer.
The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, supported by National Lottery players and administered by UK Community Foundations on behalf of Arts Council England, will support a huge range of activities for people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in to mark the Jubilee in June.
With the support of Reading Borough Council, the two charities will run art workshops for autistic children from Berkshire, and their siblings, at Prospect Park pavilion in Reading at the start of June.
The art they create will then be incorporated into a new piece of public art for the pavilion, which will soon reopen after a £500,000 facelift to create a new accessible play and activity hub. 
Details of how children can get involved will be available shortly.
Autism Berkshire’s chief executive officer, Jane Stanford-Beale, said: “We would like to thank Berkshire Community Foundation and Arts Council England for giving autistic children the chance to play a part in creating a piece of art that will serve as a fantastic permanent reminder of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and the borough council for their backing for the project.”
Suzanne Stallard, the director of Jelly, said: “The workshops will be led by artists, who will help the children to come up with Jubilee-themed works. These will then feature in the final artwork to be displayed at the pavilion.”
Jon Yates, the CEO of Berkshire Community Foundation, said: “The Queen’s Jubilee is a unique chance for communities to celebrate but also to create a legacy that will endure into the future. A legacy of which will serve to strengthen and deepen those bonds of community on which we all rely. We are delighted and so grateful to Arts Council England for the opportunity to support these incredible, imaginative projects and look forward to a vibrant and inspirational summer.”
Darren Henley, the chief executive of Arts Council England, said “The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund is a wonderful example of our ambition to give everyone the opportunity to participate in and experience the arts, culture and creativity. This June, we’ll see communities across England coming together to celebrate a historic milestone for this country. I’m excited to see these projects brought to life in villages, towns and cities across the country as our wonderfully creative communities celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
Pictured above at Prospect Park Pavilion are, from left, Dan Peters, the service manager for the Borough Council’s Reading Play unit, Suzanne Stallard, the director of Jelly, artist Sarah-Jane Pritchard and Autism Berkshire’s chief executive officer, Jane Stanford-Beale
- Queen Elizabeth II is the first monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, having overtaken Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in 2015. Her reign has been marked by a commitment to public service, reflected by her programme of engagements at home and abroad, and support for over 600 cultural organisations, charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.
